


We're California Dreamin'

by ind_i_go



Category: Fish Tank (2009), X-Men (Alternate Timeline Movies)
Genre: Boyvender, Cherik - Freeform, Conor O'Reily - Freeform, Fassavoy, Fish tank, James Mcavoy - Freeform, M/M, McBender, McFassy, Michael Fassbender - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-15
Updated: 2016-08-19
Packaged: 2018-08-08 17:00:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,184
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7765978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ind_i_go/pseuds/ind_i_go
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>//Alright now this is my first piece of literature on here, so you know, be kind, yeah?//<br/>Based on Fish Tank (2009) written by Andrea Arnold. An amazing movie. This will follow the story a little bit, but a twist off the story here and there. //Most Plot Credit To Andrea Arnold// It'll basically follow the plotline until Michael shows up<br/>Disclaimer: The characters and much of the plotline are not my own and I do not take any credit for other than what I conjure up within my mind.<br/>--<br/>A distressed and rebellious teenager, James, his tempered, partying mother, and little sister live in a rather underclass-ed suburban estate. He's not the nicest at school, and has been expelled and his mother is to have him admitted in a PRU. But as his mother brings a new boyfriend into the small flat, James and the boyfriend spark a flimsy and small friendship as he encourages James strive to become a well-rounded, smart, talented actor.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Introduction

**Author's Note:**

> ///this is probably going to be some shtt writing so beware///  
> I leave out the very beginning because I find it irrelevant to the story. James personality is based on Mia from the original movie, Charles from x-men, a wee bit of Brian from Starter From 10, and more importantly on James himself.  
> Also follow me on tumblr Real-Cherik.tumblr.com

Brightness of day waking James in his small, single bed in the flat. He sits up and looks into his small dirty mirror across the room, he notices the brown of his hair is starting to shine through the jet black dye. Putting on his usual track suit he doesn't bother saying a word to anyone in the apartment, he simply leaves. Wandering away from the estate he comes across a ill-looking horse chained within a large fenced in area. Seemingly quiet enough he enters the fenced area, with intentions to free the animal. Smashing a piece of rock against the chains only gains the attention of an older looking girl, with a baseball bat. "Oi," she shouts and approaches he and the horse. James flees the area, straight back to the apartment block. Inside the house he kneels to greet the dog, only for his mum to come and push him to the floor violently. "The bloody police have been looking for you," she barks. "You broke that boys nose, didn't you?" She questions. "I didn't even start it!" James shouts. "You fuckin did too. They wouldn't bloody be here otherwise." She spats as she grabs James while he advances for the stairs. "Let go of me Mum!" He shouts. She refuses and the shouting continues as James makes his way up the stairs. She hits him up on the head as he runs up the stairs. "I don't know what's wrong with you," she says still angrily but without the shouting. "You're what's bloody wrong with me!" James shouts as he storms off toward his bedroom, slamming the door. 

Creeping down the stairs James watches his mum in the lounge occupying herself, leaving James a chance to sneak out. Out of the sun a boy comes back with a bag of cider and a bottle of black hair dye for James, he swaps cash for the bag and leaves. Taking the boxed dye and cider to the abandoned apartment on the estate James heads straight for the bathroom. Using daylight and a dirty mirror to thoroughly dye his hair jet black. As he lets the dye set in his hair he moves to one of the bedrooms. Putting on a hip-hop track in the background as he sits down and sets the textbooks he left in their in front of himself. Reading and rereading until its stained in his mind like the dye.

After having washed out the dye in the weak water flow of the flat James steps onto the balcony, sipping the cider and running his fingers through his damp hair. Seeing over the balcony he watches children play football in an apartment block across from him. Soon after his attention is brought to the girl who had the baseball bat along with a few other boys walking a dog. Deciding he had been there long enough James leaves the apartment and heads home.

Upon walking into the living room, in search of something to break the chains on the horse James' younger sister Bec speaks, "Mum is going to kill you." James ignoring her keeps searching until he finds a hammer. Putting it in the bag where the cider and dye were James heads for the door again. But not before his sister can speak up again. "Mum said you were supposed to stay in." She says, not diverting her attention from the small TV across the room.

Back at the fenced in cement block where the horse is kept James enters. Only to find the horse is now closer to the caravan. Not stopping him, James enters and begins to stroke the horse calmly. Preparing to break the chains he is stopped when a dog comes out barking, startling him. The dog chained to the caravan still scares him enough to make a run for it. The boys he had seen earlier are behind him and catch him. Taking his backpack of things they torment him. The girl who chased him before watches with the dog on a leash. Not long after the boys keep tormenting and hurting James he lets the dog go and it chases the other boys, leaving James an opportunity to leave. He runs towards the fence and runs nearly the whole way home.

 

The next morning James is up in the kitchen wearing a large t-shirt and boxers, boiling some water to make tea. As it's boiling he stands in front of the kitchen TV with a Shakespearean book in his hands. Reading it out loud as the song on the television plays he James sways his hips as he reads the literature. He continues to read the book aloud and sway his hips until he hears a sound behind him. Startling him and sending him aback. 

"Don't mind me," the topless man smirks. "Carry on, I was enjoying it." He finishes and moves further into the kitchen. 

James scoffs, "As bloody if." 

Clearly embarrassed James stops reading his book and watches the man instead. 

"So, are you makin' eggs?" The man asks.

"Um no," 

As the man reaches up into the cupboards for something he asks, "what's the water for then?"

"Makin' tea," James says as he watching the other man retrieve mugs out of the cupboard.

Face back in his book the man interrupts him again. 

"I'm a friend of your mothers. You like to read? or dance?"

The question brings James from his book yet again. He looks up in silence. The man raises his eyebrows, awaiting an answer.

"None of your business," James says sharply. "What would you know anyway, about either topic?" He ends.

"I've read some books in my day, and I've seen videos just as everyone else." The man states. 

"Right so that makes you some kind of expert hey?" James asks sarcastically. 

Not responding to the question the man states, "You've got a mouth on you."

Now James not responding, leaving the man to ask, "What do I call you?"

"Doesn't matter. You're just another boyfriend."

"How charming," he says. "I'm Michael if you were wondering."

James having abandoned the tea leaves Michael to prepare it, pouring hot water and milk into three mugs. Taking two and exiting the room, leaving a third on the counter.

"See ya later." Michael says as he exits the room.


	2. I Don't Have To Like You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LISTEN TO CALIFORNIA DREAMIN BY BOBBY WOMACK IF YOU HAVENT SEEN THE MOVIE  
> also I didn't really edit this its all a mess in the notes but yeah hope you like it.  
> this is where Im probably going to start interjecting my aspects of the story.
> 
> again plot credit to andrea arnold
> 
> I have to rewrite over a quarter of this chapter IM DEAD
> 
> you can request a story or something at my tumblr real-cherik.tumblr.com its a real good time check it ouut

Not knowing what to think of Michael as he goes up the stairs James decides he'd look around in Michael's personal items within his jacket. Finding not all that much there other than a drivers licence a couple cards and a wage slip James decides that to make up for his embarrassment in the kitchen Michael owed him a fiver, and he takes it.

Upon preparing to put the wallet back in the pocket of Michael's coat Bec starts coming down the stairs.

"What are you doing?" Bec asks.

"Mind your own, fuck face."

"Fuck off," Bec returns.

Walking to the couch to sit down James hears Michael coming down the stairs. Trying to act innocent on the couch he watches as Bec guards the door, preventing Michael from leaving.

"Hello, what's this."

Michael says, cheery.

"A gate." Bec states.

"A gate. Can I get out?"

"Put some money in it and the gate will open."

"How much?"

"Two quid."

"Two quid? Jesus that's just to open a fucking gate."

"Alright here you go then." Says Michael, holding out his hand.

As Bec goes to grab it he brings it above him where Bec can't reach and begins jumping. On the second jump Michael starts to tickle Bec. Shouting for Michael to stop he refuses until he gets a discount.

"Fine! A pound! A pound!" Bec shouts.

"I like you, I'll kill you last." She finishes, pointing a finger gun at Michael.

Attempting to jump on James he immediately stands up and tells Bec to get off him, going to the window to watch Michael drive away. Sitting on the arm rest of the chair James can see his overly happy mum dancing in the kitchen to a pop track. Overhearing that his mother is going to have some friends over James heads up stairs.

Dressed and out by the cement block where the horse is James enters once again, this time only seeking his things that were stolen. Walking up towards where they all live he sees a CD case on the ground along with a steel bar.

"Got a nerve comin' back." The girl who basically saved him when she let the dog go says, sitting beside a shack.

"You're lucky my brothers aren't here." She says.

"They took my stuff." James starts backing up as the girl stands up and walks quickly to a caravan behind him.

The girl comes back out with the bag and sees that he is looking at the horse.

"It's not what you think, she's old." She says.

James takes the bag and begins to walk away when he turns around and speaks.

"Did you let the dog off on purpose last night?"

"He's strong, you're lucky you didn't get bitten." She says, walking toward the shack.

He begins to walk away quickly.

"Yeah 'lucky,' idiot."

 

Sitting up on the window sill of Bec's room, Bec watching a reality show with a friend while they drink and smoke James watches with agitation.

He spots Michael coming into the apartment block and soon heads downstairs. Hearing the knock he finds his mum could never hear it over the loud music so he opens it instead.

"Hi darling," Michael says, holding eight cans of alcohol.

James stands at the door as the talk until Michael says "are you gonna let us in or what?"

He opens the door and moves to the side with it.

As he and the male behind him walk by he speaks again. "I don't recognise you with your clothes on."

"You're such a dick." James says, feigning anger. James' mother greets Michael and then finds James to tell him to go to his room whilst pinching his arm. He pulls away quickly as she goes back to her party where she and Michael begin to dance seductively.

In the kitchen James finds himself looking for a drink, finding a couple hooking up on the small kitchen table with a bottle of vodka next to them. He swipes it and heads upstairs to his mums room out of boredom he goes through her makeup while drinking out of the bottle. He lines his bottom lids before passing out.

 

Slowly waking up on his mums bed to her voice in the background he lies still, not to disrupt whatever she's saying.

"Just give him a prod." His mum says.

"It's okay, he's not that big I can carry him." Michael says.

"His rooms down on the end." James lies limply in Michaels arms, imitating sleep. He sets James down on his bed and James expects for him to just leave, he doesn't. He adjusts positions so he can see what Michael does, draping an arm over his face. Michael begins to take off James' shoes, slowly and quietly. Once they're off he slowly taking off his pants, knowing James slept in boxers. James' tenses a little at the sudden feeling of a "stranger" around his waist and Michael looks at him, only finding a pair of closed eyes. He takes them completely off and folds them up neatly to set on his floor before taking his blanket and laying it over top of him. James thinks he's about to leave when instead Michael moves up toward Jame's head and feels his hair, soft under his fingers Michael sees the brown glint through under the light shining in from the parking lot. After running his hands through it softly Michael leaves and leaves his door slightly ajar.

 

The next morning James walks down the stairs wearing exactly what Michael left him in last night. Walking into the kitchen James ignores everyone sitting at the table, his mum, his sister on the counter top, and Michael. Across the table is the sink where James leans over and drinks out of the tap, he can almost feel Michael's eyes but blatantly ignores it.

"Get some clothes on James." Says his mum.

"I've got some clothes on."

"You're half naked." James leans over the tap again, then answers.

"You don't normally care."

"Yeah well, I do now so. Go get dressed."

"You're talking different, why?"

The mother completely ignoring him asks Michael if they should get going. Bec questions.

"Where you going?" She asks.

"Not goin' anywhere."

"Then why did you just ask that then?"

"We're only going for a drive."

"Wanna come? Both of you." Michael interjects.

"No no no they don't wanna come." Their mum says.

"I do." says Bec.

"We're not going no where."

"I don't caaaaaaare I still wanna come."

"Off you go then get dressed." Says Michael. Bec jumps off the counter and goes upstairs, Michael's attention turns to him. James stares blankly while he looks at him.

"What about you?"

"No he won't wanna come." Mum says.

"Were leaving in 20 minutes."

"You've got better things to do right?"

Wanting to both annoy and prove his mother wrong James speaks. "Yea alright, I'd love to come."  

 

In the car James sits in the back left seat, diagonal from Michael.

"Where are we going?" Bec asks.

"Yeah, where are we going." Their mum continues.

"The orphanage." Michael jokes.

"How dare you that's not nice, is it?" Says Bec.

Bec and Michael continued talking while James sat quiet.

The mother looking through Michael's CD's she questions. 

"What is this? You've got some weird shit here I'm telling you."

"Come off it."

"Ha ha yeah it is weird."

"Cannot call Bobby Womack weird shit."

"How old are you?" Bec asks. "Old enough." Michael replies happily.

"Okay, it seems I'm gonna have to educate you guys." Michael says as he puts in a CD He sets a track and _California Dreamin'_ by Bobby Womack starts playing.

_"All the leaves are brown_

_And the sky is grey_

_I went for a walk_

_On a winters day_

_I'd be safe and warm_

_If_ _I was in LA_

_California dreamin_

 

_On such a winters day_

_Went through the church, just me_

_I stopped along the way_

_When I got down on my bended knee"_   Michael sang and tapped along on the steering wheel.

_And I began to pray_

_You know the preacher digs a call_

_Causes he knows I'm gonna stay_

_Hes knows I'm gonna stay, I_ _told him so_

_California dreamin_

 

The rest of the way there was quiet save for Bec pointing things out and the subtle speaking between Bec and Michael.

"Here we are." Michael says, pulling in in front of a metal gate.

"C'mon I wanna show you something."

They follow Michael through a break in the fence down toward a stream. James stopping to look at the landscape Michael walks by with James' mother and says. "This is it, what do you think?" Soon following them down to the water James looks over the landscape while Bec is fascinated by the bugs.

"Gonna catch a fish," Michael says, taking his socks and shoes off.

"What the hell?" Bec replies.

"I'm goin' in. You comin?"

"Nooooo way."

"I'm staying here, thank you." Says Mum

"You chicken?" He says as he moves towards where the grass edge and murky water meet.

"Oh my god. You've got to be mad."

In the water Michael turns around to the rest of them. "Well I need some help."

"Get out of it." Their mum says, backing away from the edge. "Come back here or James is gonna push us in."

"Nooooo way." Both Bec and her mum say.

"Look, people don't come here often, fish are stupid we'll get one easy." Michael explains

James begins to take off his shoes.

"I'll watch you." says Mum

"Excellent." Michael smiles, realising James is going to help. "C'mere."

"Oh trust bloody James." His mum said, unbelieving of James.

About to step in with his track pants on his mum speaks.

"Oi Those bloody track suits cost twenty quid you know?"

He decides she's right for once and pulls his bottoms off, leaving him in his boxers. Taking off his shirt as well he throws it with the rest of his belongings and carefully steps into the water. 

"I told you to put some clothes on earlier." She says.

"Well I'm already in and you didn't want me to get it dirty so."

James carefully steps out further into the water toward Michael. 

"Over here, c'mon, move slowly." He encourages.

"He can't swim!" Their mum shouts, even though the water is a little over knee high.

"Okay do you see the fish in front of you? I want you to move towards me slowly."

James almost starts to move.

"Not yet.. Okay, move slowly."

Michael continues to whisper about being slow, with his hands ready in the water. James stands about five feet away from him when in a surprisingly calm manner Michael pulls a fish out of the water.

Bec screaming from the grass, "oh you've got one!"

 

They move a little quicker towards the grass with the fish. 

Michael gets out first, dropping the fish on the ground.

"Slippery little fucker," he curses.

 

"Ow." James says, catching his leg on something he moves quickly to the grass and out of the water and putting the track pants on.

 

"Is it dying" Bec asks, looking at the struggling open mouthed fish.

"It's out of the water what do you think it's doing."

 

Michael, who had gone into a bush, comes back with a stick to put through the fishes mouth.

 

Bec states she's not going to eat it.

"I'm not touchin' it, let alone puttin' it in my mouth."

 

"You eat fish fingers don't you? It's the same thing."

"No it's not it's not a head and eyes and--"

"I'll eat it," James interrupts.

"Good boy." Says Michael.

"He bloody would." The mum says, hand over her mouth.

 

James noticing a bloody cut on his ankle his Mum looks down and notices too. 

"Oh. God." She backs away, grossed out. 

"Let me see." Michael kneels down and looks at it. "Ah, you'll live." He says, as he wraps a sock around his ankle. 

Also noticing something written on Michael, James asks, "Whose Kelly?"

"What?"

"The tattoo on your arm."

"Oh, right. Just an ex girlfriend." He dismisses.

 

They both collect their things and start to walk back, or rather limp in James's case.

"James!" Michael shouts, stopping James from limping away. "Come here."

He doesn't move and Michael moves towards him.

"Jump on my back." He says.

"What? No." 

"C'mon, I can carry you I carried you to bed last night c'mon."

James jumped on and slowly moved up toward the car.

"You okay?" Asks Michael.

"Mmhm."

"You're pants are all wet, the water seeped through." Michael in forms.

"Yeah I know, that's because my boxers are wet."

"Ha ha, I know." Michael laughs as James hangs on. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> was it good? I worked hard on it? I really did? alsoooo theres eventually gonna be a sex scene so like should I add some description to it and make it graphic or keep it vague and at least a little clean?

**Author's Note:**

> Pretty good? Thoughts? Inquiries? Ideas? Good enough to be put in someones fic rec? Other chapters will be longer I just wanted to put this out there.


End file.
